A 36-year-old Lydney man who burgled a house in Cheltenham ran through a schoolyard to avoid arrest and when he was cornered he threw a valuable stolen watch at the groin of the pursuing police officer, a judge heard.

Simon Chappell, of Manor Court, Lydney, admitted burgling the house in New Barn Road, Cheltenham, on January 21 this year.

He also pleaded guilty to assaulting police constable Simon Silsby on the same date by throwing the Omega watch at him.

A third charge that Chappell assaulted a schoolgirl at Holy Trinity School by knocking her over was not proceeded with after he denied the allegation at the Gloucester Crown Court hearing.

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Prosecutor Janine Wood, told Judge Ian Lawrie QC: “I would normally seek to continue with that, but as he has pleaded guilty to an offence that has a minimum of three years, and the police officer assault, there does not seem to be a point in pursuing this further.”

Mrs Wood said she would not be offering no evidence, but instead asked for the charge to 'lie on file'.

The barrister said that on the morning of January 21 a witness had seen Chappell jumping into a garden.

The police were alerted and given a description, she said.

By 12.10pm they spotted Chappell and attempted to arrest him, but he ran off.